childminding club- question use of space

[Isyhan]

Does anyone just use their downstairs to cm. I was going to use upstairs aswell but my kitchen ext is nearly done and they have put a downstairs loo and sink in (a cupboard)so I may not need to use upstairs bathroom. Or will I? I think it will not affect my children so much if I keep cming to floor of my home.

I just use the downstairs rooms as loo etc on the ground floor and the staircase in this old cottage is very steep. I actually like this as I feel as though I have some privacy and, if I have had chaotic evening before, I can throw the evidence upstairs to sort out when mindees gone home!!
I use a pram for naps with little ones which doesn't seem to be a problem.
(As an aside does anyone else ever feel 'invaded' by parents, rather than children? Some people's eyes seem to be everywhere at pickup so have had to hide the vodka bottles!!)

I only use my downstairs as mindees are still in nappies and one uses a potty, I live in a small terrace and the stairs are really steep and narrow so I don't really want the little ones going up there.

Upstairs is registered for when they start they start using the toilet. If I had a downstairs toilet I wouldn't use upstairs for minding at all!

I use downstairs primarily for minding as have downstairs toilet but as I am registered for overnight care, I usually use spare bedroom for a sleeping baby; toddlers usually want to sleep on the cushions downstairs.

Moonlady; LOL at the Vodka bottles - I have been known to leave the occasional wine bottle on display but do reassure parents that I haven't contaminated mindees bolognese sauce with it in a bid to, lets say, to encourage a more docile child I'm only kidding of course

My whole house is currently registered but, at my next inspection, I am going to just have the downstairs done.

We have a downstairs loo, and enough space in a second lounge for travel cots.

I stopped using my upstairs for sleeping children (daytime) when I realised how difficult emergency evacuation would be if I had children both upstairs and downstairs.

As MoonLady says, I feel that upstairs is now solely for family use. I have older dds who now rather resent having to put away their personal possessions to satisfy an Ofsted inspector (hairspray aerosols were visible at my last inspection - how dreadful!!!)

It can be really hard to differentiate between 'work' and 'home' can't it? I feel it's important that you can forget about minding in the evenings, but as my dining room (sounds grand, really front room!) is full of toys and craft stuff I can't always turn off. so am saving up to have cupboard built into alcove.

How do your partners, if you have them, cope when mindees are around? Mine was glad to go back to work after few days off, said it was the unremitting full-on-ness that was so tiring!! and that from some-one who works with disaffected adolescents!!

It can be really hard to differentiate between 'work' and 'home' can't it? I feel it's important that you can forget about minding in the evenings, but as my dining room (sounds grand, really front room!) is full of toys and craft stuff I can't always turn off. so am saving up to have cupboard built into alcove.

How do your partners, if you have them, cope when mindees are around? Mine was glad to go back to work after few days off, said it was the unremitting full-on-ness that was so tiring!! and that from some-one who works with disaffected adolescents!!

MY DH loves my toddler mindee, and will always complain if he has to go to work early or work late as this means that he doesn't get to see said mindee.

On the other hand he enjoys the afterschoolies when they are playing the garden, more than when they are inside, as, when you add my own three to the equation it's very,very noisy!!

My dh was fine about mindees but not now - he's been out of work for ages now and since the 3 new mindees have started, it's been very full on with up to 12 hours of loud noise which he's not used to and the 2 babies are both teething which doesn't help. He stays in the bedroom all day as there's nowhere else to go

Hellybelly, sometimes wish my husband would stay in the bedroom all day

I think my dh would make a better cm than me sometimes. Hes always glad to have a houseful of kids but.. he is a secondary school teacher and Im wondering after a long hard day how he will cope with a houseful everyday. We shall see.

My DP was fine with it at first but he doesn't see them any more cos he works away a bit during the week, he seems to prefer it this way as they weren't given him any space to get ready for work and constantly interuppting when he was trying to talk to dd.

If he had his way I wouldn't be a childminder.

My dh is brilliant with all the mindees, and they are always excited to see him if he is around. However, he thinks that any mum who wants to stay home and look after their own children is bonkers; and he thinks that anyone who wants to stay at home and look after someone else's children is completely mental and need psychiatric care!

Prisoner, good to start the day with a smile!! I agree with yr dh, must be bonkers, though happier doing this than being tied to an office. I think that was what really got me down about my previous work, a lack of freedom to just make last minute decisions about going somewhere nice on a summer's day.